| Summary: | MSc (Med), Biokinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand === Introduction: Performance enhancing substance (PES) use is a major concern currently facing
adolescent sport. The youth have become more competitive in sport, with some using substances
and supplements to improve their performance. Unfortunately, some of these adolescent
athletes are using substances that are both harmful to their health and prohibited.
Aim of study: To establish the attitudes and perceptions towards and the use of PES, including
prohibited substances and food supplements, by adolescent male athletes, in selected
Johannesburg boys’ high schools.
Method: The study design was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire.
Male adolescent high school learners involved in 1st and 2nd team competitive high school sport in
seven Johannesburg boys’ high schools were invited to volunteer to participate in the study.
Questionnaires were completed under conditions similar to an examination, where participants
were not allowed to communicate with each other. Demographic data was analysed using
descriptive statistics.
Results: The sample size was 100. Results indicated that the prevalence of PES use amongst the
participants was 30%. The use of prohibited substances was found, including growth hormone
(5%), anabolic androgenic steroids (4%), and adrenaline (4%). Food supplement use was also
found in this sample, including creatine (32%), protein (61%), carbohydrate (54%), caffeine (57%)
and vitamin (61%) supplementation. Most of the participants (83%) that used PES started using
them when they were over 15 years old. The majority of the participants (42%) played rugby as
their main high school sport.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that there was generally a low prevalence of ergogenic
substance use in Johannesburg boys’ high school sport for performance enhancement.
Substances such as anabolic androgenic steroids (4%) and growth hormone (5%) were found to
be used by the learners. The anti-doping attitude of the learners may be improved by education
programmes, which aim to decrease the prevalence of prohibited PES use in adolescent sport.
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